Thank you very much - I appreciate hearing from the locals. :-)
(PS I visited England as a child and must say I thought the countryside very beautiful - especially remember the Stongehenge area. Of course in those days we went right up to it.)
Always a pleasure. I come here to try and gain an understanding of American Conservatism- if I can reciprocate for British Toryism then that's an added bonus.
It is nice round Stonehenge- not too far far from where I live actually, in the Cotswolds. Now that is a lovely part of the world (although at present I'm studying in Cambridge which has far too few hills for my taste :) ). I see you're a Californian, so I'd better repay the compliment; we did a driving holiday from LA to Sacramento via San Fransisco a couple of years back, and some of the scenery was utterly beautiful- especially Monterey way.
As for Madame Thatcher, her position is correct. The United Kingdom does not need the limits of EU membership on it. The EU places restrictions and regulations on markets and free enterprise. I can think of a store clerk who paid a huge fine (or jail time, can't remember) because he violated EU regulations that forbide the posting of price by weight in American Pounds. They have to use Kilos. This one is silly, and others are damaging. Britian owes no allegince to Europe, and Europe has brought Britain NOTHING but heartache these past 2 centurys. Labour, and the Lib Dems, spout socialism and Europeanism and keep saying 'we are one with Europe' over and over. If you say something enough people will start to believe it. Britain needs to renegotiate.
I like what the Iron Lady suggested. 1st, Keep the Pound. Brits determine Brits financal policies. 2nd, renogotiate with the EU. People will say, 'thats not fair, you just want whats best for you'. Well no Dauh! Britain needs to look out for Britain, just like America looks out for America. 3rd, join NAFTA or something like it In 1999, (last year I have the stats for) Britain did 48% of its trade with Americas. They only do 35% of their trade with EU countries. Yet that 35% can regulate trade policy.
The EU is just another in a long line of attempts to create a balance in which no one can dominate. Search for Condi Rice and Multipolarism on yahoo or somewhere like it. (Europeans have been doing it since the Congress of Vienna back in the day. 1600 something, i think) The result is always the same. France running all over Europe in the 19th century, and Germany in the 20th. This system only works if everyone behaves. Do you really believe the French or the Germans really consider Poland or Slovakia as equals? I don't, The only reason Europe has behaved is the nightmares of WW2 and failed revolts against the soviets still linger. Now they want to restore the system that allowed Germany to dominate previously. It will be interesting to see what happens over the next 20 years.
Just a little 'factoide'. Thatcher was strongly opposed to reuniting the Germanys. She believed a united Germany would again dominate Continental Europe. we'll see...